Internal-combustion engine.



W. H. DARDENNE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 5.19m.

PatentedNov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WI@ z H. DARDENNE.

lNTERNAL coMBusTloN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. I9I5.

Pateted Nov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

critics.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgltgntd No 7 1916.

applicati@ ined october 5, 1915. serial No. 54,147.

` To all vwhom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER II. DAR- DENNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county .of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a speciication.

Mv invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, the object. of the invention being to provide a cam having a plurality of points which directly engage the reciprocating pistons and are moved by the pistons eliminating all cranks and similar mechanism. p y

A further object is to provide an engine of the character stated in which the pistons are reciprocated a number of times during a single revolution of the drive shaft, the number of such revolutions being controlled by the number of points on a cam.

A further object is to provide an engine of the character stated in which the cam is utilized as a compression medium so as to force the gas into the cylinders under a certain pressure to scavenge the cylinder and give an initial compression which is desirable in an engine of the two cycle type.

A further object is to provide an engine in which the pistons move in a line so as to exert a direct and full force upon the cam faces at one side of the drive shaft, or in other words tangentially to the drive shaft so as to cause a rotation of the drive shaft and utilize the full power of the explosion.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a view in longitudinal section illustrating my improvements in connection with an engine of the two cycle type. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 2 2 of' Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating my improvements in connection with an engine ofthe four cycle type. Fig. 4 is a View in section on the staggered line 4 4 of Fig. 3, y portions of the mechanism being shown in elevation. s 1

1 represents a supporting base which is preferably made integral witha two part cam case 2, the two parts of the latter havtion.

ing integral cylinders 3, and said cam case secured together by bolts 4. The cam case is circular or cylindrical in form, and houses a cam 5 which is secured to the drive shaft extending through the cam case, and having an ordinary balance wheel on its outei' end. In the cylinders 3, I locate pistons 8 which are provided with recesses 9 in their inner ends, through which the cam 5 revolves, and in the recesses 9 of the pistons, I locate rollers 10 which turn upon pins 11EL secured in the pistons and engage directly the cam 5.

It will be noted, particularly by reference to Fig. l, that the pistons reciprocate in a plane tangeiitially to the cam, or rather to the drive shaft 6 or axis of the cam, and hence the cam operates to move the pistons and the pistons to move the cam as will be more fully hereinafter described. In Fig. 1, I have shown the cam of the three point type, the points 11 of the cam tting the cam case. The cam face 12 on each cam point operates to move the pistons inwardly, while thecam face 13 on the opposite side of the camA point is engaged by the pistons in their forward movementI to turn the cam and thel shaft. The cam faces 12 are also utilized as'compression'ineans, and it will be noted that ducts 14 are provided in the cylinders 3 and cam case 2 to direct gas from the cam case into the cylinders, said gas being supplied through inlets 15 in the cam case, which inlets are cut off by the points of the cam. Each cylinder 3 is provided with an exhaust port 16 oppositel the end of the duct 14, so that the gas in entering operates to drive out the exploded miX- ture to scavenge the engine when operating as a two cycle motor. The shaft 6 is mounted to turn in ball bearings 17 which are supported in the cam case 3 so as to reduce friction to aminimum, and the balance wheel 7 is of such size and weight as to aid by momentum the movement of the cam as is well understood. The vends of cylinders 3 are provided with openings 18 for spark plugs or other igniting means (not shown).

The operation of my improved' engine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: The pistons 8 are shown intheir eXtreme positions.` The piston at the left of Fig. 1 is shown in position for firing, while the piston at the right is in the opposite extreme posi- Referring particularlyto the piston at the leftof Fig. l, it will be noted that the forward movement of the piston exerts a pressure upon the cam surface 13 to revolve the cam, while the cam surface 12 is compressing the gas and forcing it through the duct 14. The piston'at the left, however, operates to prevent the entrance of the gas into the cylinder until the piston reaches substantially the extreme end of its stroke, when the compressed gas will rush in and drive out the exploded mixture through the exhaust port 16, so that the piston on its inward stroke will compress the charge after cutting off duct 14 and exhaust port 16. The cam 5, therefore, operates as a means for compressing the gas before it is forced into the cylinders as well as a means for moving the pistons, and also operates as a means of transmitting power from the pistons to the shaft, and it will be noted that the pistons will be given a reciprocation at each passage of a cam point, so that each piston will be fired a number of times during each revolution of the Shaft.

In Figs. 3, and 4, I have illustrated my invention in connection with an engine of the four cycle type showing instead of the three point cam 5, a four point cam 19 which turns in a cam case 20, and engages pistons 21 in cylinders 22. The pistons 21 are preferably arranged in pairs asV shown in Fig. 5,

two pistons side by side being connected by a pin 23 to compel them to operate together. With this form of engine it is desirable toat least positively operate the exhaust valves 27 which are moved by cams 28 on shaft 25. Check valves '29 control the inlet of gas to the several cylinders, and I preferably locate the valves in olf-set chambers 30 in the cylinders as shown in Fig. 4. 1

The invention is not limited to any particular arrangement of valves, nor operating means therefor, but itis to be understood that an explosion takesplacey in only one cylinder at a time, so there will be a series of explosions in the cylinders and one piston will be always driving the cam.

As the engine shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is of the four cycle type, each cylinder will receive an explosion twice during the complete revolution of the shaft 25 because of the fact that the four point cam causes four complete reciprocations of each piston during its turning movement. In this modilication, the cam 19 operates like the cam 5, except of course, no compression of gas in a four cycle engine is performed by the cam, but the action of the pistons and cam are the same in that they communicate directly and the pistons move tangentially to the axis i of the cam, and exert a direct force upon the cam faces to turn the cam shaft.

While I have illustrated my improvements in connection with three and four point cams, it is of course to be understood that I may vary the number of points of the cam, and may vary the arrangement, number and location of the cylinders and pistons without departing from my invention. I therefore do not limit myself to the precise. details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, of a shaft mounted centrally in the cam case, a cam on the shaft fitting the cam case, a cylinder having fixed Irelation to the cam case and located tangentially to the axis of the shaft, a piston in the cylinder directly engaging the cam, means for directing explosive mixture into the cam case, and said cam case having 'passages connecting the same with the cylinders through which passages the mixture is forced by the cam, substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, of a shaft mounted centrally in the cam case, a cam on the shaft littingthe cam case, a cylinder having fixed relation to the cam case and located tangentially to the axis of the shaft, a piston in the cylinder having a recess in its end in which the cam is positioned, a roller in the recess directly engaging the cam, means for directing explosive mixture into the cam case, and said cam case having passages connecting the same with the cylinders through which passages the mixture is forced by the cam, substantlally as described.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, and a cylinder communicating withthe cam case and located at an angle to the axis of the cam case, of a piston in the cylinder, and a cam in the cam case directly engaging the piston, said cam operating as a compression means in the cam case for forcing gas into the cylinder, substantially as described.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, and a plurality of cylinders communicating therewith, said cylinders having exhaust ports in one side and inlet ducts in their other sides communicating with the cam case, of pistons in the cylinders, and a cam in the cam case engaging the pistons, movable by the pistons, and constructed to force gas under compression through the said ducts into the cylinder, substantially as described.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, and a plurality of cylinders communicating therewith, said cylinders having exhaust ports in one side and inlet ducts in their other sides communicating with the cam case, of pistons in the cylinders, a cam in the'cam case having a 130 plurality of points, said cam fitting the cam case and compressing gas into the cam points forcing the said gas through the ducts into the cylinders, and said cam constructed to move the pistons and moved thereby, substantially as described.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, and a plurality of cylinders communicating therewith, said cylinders having exhaust ports in one side and inlet ducts in their other sides communieating with the cam case, of pistons in the cylinders, a cam in the cam case having a plurality of points, said cam fitting the cam case and compressing gas into the cam points forcing the said gas through the ducts into the cylinders, and said cam constructed to move the pistons and moved thereby, said cam case having inlet ports for each cylinder, said inlet ports cut oi by the cam points, substantially as described.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cam case, and a plurality of cylinders communicating therewith, said cylinders having exhaust ports in one side and inlet ducts in their other sides commucating with the cam case, of pistons in the cylinders, and a cam in the cam case engaging the pistons, movable by the pistons, and constructed to force gas under compression through the said ducts into the cylinder, said pistons having recesses in their inner end through which the cam points move, and rollers in said recesses engaging the faces of the cam, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER H. DARDENNE.

Vitnesses CARL H. DARDENNE, S. W. F osTER. 

